SO WHAT IS THIS FAITH WE ARE CALLED TO DEFEND?

22 Sunday Feb 2015

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Having been a Lay-Speaker in the Methodist Church I have had the privilege on occasion to speak at different churches in my district. Today’s blog is an excerpt from one of those times. The news is full of the persecution of Christians and the destruction of our churches with the goal of destroying the faith. Here then is an excerpt from the message “Defending the Faith”.

FAITH HAS BOTH AN ACTIVE AND PASSIVE SENSE IN THE BIBLE. THE FIRST RELATING TO ONE’S LOYALTY TO A PERSON OR COMMITMENT TO A PROMISE; THE OTHER BEING CONFIDENCE IN THE WORD OR ASSURANCE OF ANOTHER. FAITH IS NOT MERELY WHAT A PERSON BELIEVES, AS EXAMPLE, AN ACCURATE DOCTRINE OR CREED, BUT ALSO AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THAT THE OBJECT OF OUR FAITH IS VALID. THAT EMPTY TOMB VALIDATES OUR FAITH.
I BELIEVE IT TO BE A REASONABLE STATEMENT THAT WE ARE GOVERNED BY OUR THOUGHTS; WE ULTIMATELY BECOME WHAT WE DWELL MOST UPON IN OUR MINDS. THE APOSTLE PAUL GAVE THIS INSTRUCTION TO THE ROMANS: Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE PASSAGES: Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

WHAT IS VALUE OF FAITH? WE FIND SECURITY IN OUR FAITH. 2CHRONICALS: 20-20……… As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.”
WE ARE ESTABLISHED AS A PEOPLE THROUGH OUR FAITH. ISAIAH 7-9 …………“If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.”

OUR FAITH IS A GIFT OF GOD LUKE 17: 5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
ROMANS 12: 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
HERE IS A PASSAGE WE ALL KNOW WELL……8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit ………….

THE PURPOSE OF OUR FAITH IS TO GAIN UNDERSTANDING AND TRUTH. John 8:31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
FAITH HELPS US TO GROW IN GOD’S GRACE Hebrews 4:16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

WE ARE ABLE TO REJOICE THROUGH OUR FAITH. PHILIPPIANS 2: 17-18 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

WE CAN USE OUR FAITH TO STRENGTHEN OURSELVES. ROMANS 6:13-14 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

THROUGH FAITH WE BECOME TRANSFORMED INTO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST, A PEOPLE STRONG IN THE FAITH. EPHESIANS 3: 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
WE NEED………
-THE BOLD FAITH OF OUR LORD THAT WOULD ALLOW HIM TO DO NO LESS THAN THE FATHER’S WILL, EVEN IF IT MEANT HIS DEATH.
-THE BOLD FAITH OF PAUL HAVING BEEN STONED AND LEFT FOR DEAD, HE GOT UP, WENT BACK AND CONTINUED TO PREACH THE GOOD NEWS.
-THE BOLD FAITH OF PETER RISING TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF PAUL AND BARNABAS’ MINISTRY TO THE GENTILES.
-THE BOLD FAITH OF JAMES WHO CHALLENGED THE CHURCH AT JERUSALEM, KNOWING THAT THERE WERE THOSE WHO OPPOSED THE GENTILE.
WE NEED A BOLDNESS IN OUR FAITH THAT SAYS ….COME AS YOU ARE. THE FAITH BELONGS TO ALL WHO SEEK JESUS CHRIST.
THE CHURCH HAS LOST ITS BOLDNESS. WE MUST PUT ASIDE THE DISTRACTIONS OF THIS WORLD AND COME TOGETHER IN DEFENSE OF THE FAITH.
TO DEFEND THE FAITH IS TO DEFEND JESUS CHRIST…..”I AM THE WAY”

*References from William Barclay, Daily Bible study are included in this blog.

Authority, Accountability and Responsibilty

08 Sunday Feb 2015

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Ah, back in the day….Now when someone opens a conversation or begins a blog with these words, the chances are they’re a bit long in the tooth. So let me open by writing. Back in the day when I was working we used to have these motivational meetings that were designed to help us all be of one mind, you know a team thing. To help you understand this team thing I will share this with you. There were five kids a dog and a parakeet and mom and dad. My dad was career military, Air Force. There is a lot of team work that goes into being a military family. My mother’s take on team work was simple. When we gathered at the table to eat, we ate what was in the can, no substitutions. We were a team at least at the table. Now about that work thing and the meeting I have always remembered.
Authority, Accountability and Responsibility three words that I supposed were important to us as individuals and as a team. Here are the secular definitions for each.

Authority
: the power to give orders or make decisions: the power or right to direct or control someone or something
: the confident quality of someone who knows a lot about something or who is respected or obeyed by other people
: a quality that makes something seem true or real

Accountability
: the quality or state of being accountable; especially : an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions

Responsibility
the state of being the person who caused something to happen
: a duty or task that you are required or expected to do
: something that you should do because it is morally right, legally required, etc.

I have always remembered these words because of what the instructor told us about them. Authority is given or granted, Accountability is imposed and Responsibility is inherent and must be accepted by each individual.

Now comes the fun part.
The title of this blog is “From the Pew, A Layman’s View of The Gospel.” The nice thing about sitting in the pew is you can say most anything, good or bad and other than those close by, no one hears you. You can always say “gee I wish they would…” and not do a thing, because every church has a bunch of “they” that will do it. Using the NRSV, Bible Gateway counted 133 times that Authority could be found in the bible, Accountability 5 times and Responsibility 9 times all in the OT. Take the time to look them up, you may find more in other translations. It is amazing to read the Christian perspective as written in the Gospel. Take the time to look. I may have miss-counted. I will be waiting here in the pew for you.

Putting a Face on Prayer

02 Monday Feb 2015

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It has been written that Jesus put a face on God. Our Sunday school class begins with prayer requests and devotion before the lesson itself. Some of the names we are able to put a face to but many are people and situations we are not familiar with. The current series we are studying is about Prayer. The lessons were written by Randy Cross and have opened our collective eyes and minds to the power of prayer as a means of establishing and strengthening our relationship with God. Much has been written and said about prayer as a part of the Christian life or the lack of it. This blog is about us, the people in the pews, “a laymen’s view of the gospel” so to speak. I have no formal education in theology therefore I will not attempt to share with you some new and astonishing stuff about prayer. Instead I will share with you a moment of revelation shared with our class by a very special lady.

It has been almost a year that our class has been praying for a lady who was diagnosed as having stage four colon cancer. This has been a powerful series for our class, taught by a wonderful and spirit led lady who brought us a gift so few see. Today we met the lady we have been praying for, some of us for the first time. She is still fighting the battle, but she is not at war. This is not a feel good story, and the end has not been written. The lady has “given over” her life to God’s will. The cancer is still there but has diminished in mass and now there is the possibility of other procedures that were never thought to be possible. She walks this road every day knowing that God walks with her and her needs will be met. It’s not about healing, it is about strengthening the bond of faith between her and her God….so that his will might be done. We added an extra week to the study and this morning Renee put a face on prayer as she joined us to share her journey so far. The road she walks is subject to the events of this life, but her destination lies with the creator of all life in who our resurrection and life everlasting is assured through the death and resurrection of his Son. She spoke openly of her fears, her hopes and most importantly about the reality of prayer in situations that overwhelm and intimidate. Renee put a face on our prayers and we were able to see the power of prayer in her face. She gave us a gift I would like to share with you.

Prayer of Relinquishment
Today, O Lord, I yield myself to You.
May Your will be my delight today.
May You have perfect sway in me.
May your love be the pattern of my living.
I surrender to You my hopes, my dreams, my ambitions.
Do with them what You will, when You will, as You will.
I place into Your loving care my family, my friends, my future.
Care for them with a care that I can never give.
I release into Your hands my need to control, my craving for status, my fear of obscurity.
Eradicate the evil, purify the good, and establish Your Kingdom on earth.
For Jesus’ sake, Amen.`

Prayer is about giving yourself over to God knowing he will provide for your needs, mind, body and soul. That’s my view from the pew.

Daniel 3 – Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego

25 Sunday Jan 2015

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This is an incredible story of faith and survival. The account of these three young men is one that is told over and over again, mostly to children. Children love to act out this story and retell it to others.( PAMELA ROSE WILLIAMS)

Some thoughts about Daniel 3…..

-The informers were prejudiced against the Jews, possibly because they were jealous of the Jews’ privileged position.

-Though Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are monotheistic, most other religions throughout history have been polytheistic. The numerous gods may be dominated by a supreme god or by a small group of powerful gods, but from Nebuchadnezzar’s polytheistic perspective there was no god capable of such deliverance. Unwittingly, Nebuchadnezzar challenged the power of the God of Israel.

-3:17, 18 These verses express the central theme of the chapter. The idea is not that God will always protect His people from physical harm; He may do that and certainly is able to. The central idea is that God’s people should be obedient to Him whatever the consequences.

When we obey God and he makes his presence known to us and others can see the results of our relationship with God, great things will happen.

When the king looked into the furnace that held these three men he saw four men and was astonished. He called for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to come out of the furnace and when the king saw that God protected them he too believed on God and sent out this decree:
Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon. (Daniel 3:29-30)

Exodus 20 – The Ten Commandments

18 Sunday Jan 2015

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I think this is the second most popular chapter in the Bible. It tells of how Moses stood before the Lord on the mountain and received the 10 most important commands from God. He then took it to the people that he was leading to the Promised Land. When the people heard the thunder, lightning, smoke and noise they were afraid. Then Moses said to them:
“…Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.” (Exodus 20:20)
PAMELA ROSE WILLIAMS

The first thing to be acknowledged is that these commands are the vision of the God of the exodus and are intended to provide shape and order for his people. These commands are divided into two tablets: one containing relations to God, and one concerning the neighbor. Both tablets are crucial to biblical faith. The second tablet is not just about a set of good moral ideas but contains conditions worthwhile to human life. These are the non-negotiable conditions that God sees as bringing order into this world. It is worth noting here that the way in which the people serve the God of the exodus, their acceptance of his laws, will impact and reshape human relations into a more compassionate and Godly treatment of others. We can say that the strength of our biblical faith is dependent on our obedience to our God.

Matthew 19:16-22
16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
18 “Which ones?” he inquired.
Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’[c] and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’[d]”
20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

This story of Jesus’ encounter with the rich man is also found in Mark and Luke. Several writers point to the fact that as Jesus alludes to the Ten Commandments it is a selective process in which not all the commandments are listed. Perhaps to Jesus the commandments are a first level demand of God’s people which can be attained through obedience to the law. They are simply the threshold to more serious discipleship and a step on the demanding way to eternal life.

We see in Exodus 20:19-21 the awesome reality of this God we serve. The people stand before a God of majesty and awesome power, before whom extra care must be taken. We would do well to remember this.

*Some information contained here is taken from the NIB commentary and the writings of George E Mendenhall

Genesis 37 – Joseph and the Coat of Many Colours

11 Sunday Jan 2015

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This week we turn to the book of Genesis, Chapter 37 as we continue to look at some of the great chapters of the Bible. It is important to note that I have identified the authors and other varied sources used in this blog. My thoughts are included and yours are welcomed. We return this week to the writings of PAMELA ROSE WILLIAMS.

Genesis 37 – Joseph and the Coat of Many Colours
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. (Genesis 37:3)
In Genesis 37 we read the account of a man named Jacob (also known as Israel) who had more than 13 children (Genesis29; 30; 35:16-25). His favorite son was the one who was born later in his life. Because he was favored, Jacob made Joseph a “coat of many colours”.
It is recorded that because Jacob loved Joseph more than his brothers that they became jealous and sought to kill him. As the brothers conspired to kill Joseph they had second thoughts and instead threw him into a pit and left him there but before they did, they took his coat of many colours. Later one brother returned to the pit to find it empty. What they did not know is that some merchantmen had found him and sold him to some Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they took Joseph to Egypt.
To hide their dirty deed from their father the brothers took animal blood and put it on the coat of many colours and returned to Jacob with it. Jacob was very distressed over the incident and mourned for Joseph many days.
( http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com )

We are introduced to two main players here whose actions brought to light the dysfunction of this family and Gods’ use of it for a greater purpose, the first player being Jacob.

“What was there to like about Jacob? He was an opportunist, co-conspirator, shifty, untrustworthy, negligent, and a father who picked favorites. Yet God said, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated” (Romans 9:13). God blessed him with many children, a productive lifestyle, and a long life. Jacob’s story reminds believers that God is in the business of transforming our struggles for His purposes and our good.”
Crystal McDowell

Joseph was a young man, a shepherd and an interpreter. One of his first acts as an interpreter, a role he plays in the story, was to bring criticism of his brothers back to Jacob, forging a relationship with his father that the other brothers did not have. This relationship suggests that Joseph has become the “chosen son” of the promise. Jacob does nothing to suggest otherwise and even adds to the perception by gifting Joseph publicly with the gift of a costly robe, “a coat of many colors”.

I suppose that in some way the story here is also about relationships. Our relationship with family, friends and God; Jacob made a few mistakes but God loved him, forgave him and blessed him. In Joseph we see how important it is to use the gifts given to us by God in a way that glorifies God and serves his people. We also learn that God speaks to us in many ways as with Joseph it was through his dreams. We often say that our conscience, that little voice that sometimes seeks to correct or stop us from doing something, can be responsible for stopping us from a wrong path or action. Could it be, maybe just possible that that little voice is God speaking to us? It is often said that conscience is one’s moral sensitivity or personal scruples; to the believer it just could be God’s will and direction for their life.

No one in this story emerges innocent. The primary victim of course is Joseph but he furnishes the fuel for his own troubles. Everyone in their own way contributes to the mess this family finds itself in. We could try to spread the blame about evenly but something more powerful hides within this chapter. God is the all determining power that forgives the responsible for their sins and wins out over our human weakness for sin. God is in control even when we seek to allow human will and weakness to rule our lives.

*Additional information in this blog from NIB commentary

Genesis 1 – The Creation Account From the writings of Pamela Rose Williams

31 Wednesday Dec 2014

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Genesis 1 is the first chapter in the Bible and it tells of how God created the heavens and earth. As you read this chapter you are introduced to the historical record of an Almighty Creator. The very words “In the beginning” sets the stage of how God created something from nothing and as you read on you begin to understand that there is One who is in control and who set all things in motion.
“God” is mention 32 times in these 31 verses and it is in Genesis 1 that we first read about the Holy Spirit and His power (Gen 1:2). We also see, for the first time:
• Light and darkness
• Day and night
• Water and land (Earth and Seas)
• The firmament (Heaven)
• Grass, herbs and fruit trees
• The stars that light up the skies, used for seasons, days and years
• The fowls of the air and other living creatures
And Genesis chapter 1 is where the creation of man is first mentioned and the order of living things; that God gave man dominion over all of the other living creatures.
It is the first time that we are introduced to the doctrine of the Trinity when we read:
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:26)

http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/author/pam/
I very much liked the authors concise and yet in depth commentary regarding the first chapter of Genesis. One thing I take from this chapter is the only conclusion any rational person could take, even setting aside the faith factor. I would think that believers and non-believers could see plainly that there is “One who is in control and who set all things in motion.” How important is control to you in your everyday life. I believe that to the majority of us it is very important. Being a Christian is in part willing to give God control of our lives and also being accountable for our actions. We will at times fail but He who is in control will forgive and forget our failures. All of us struggle with our faith and it is good we should remember who is in control.

Two Timing Christians…..

13 Sunday Apr 2014

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Pastor spoke this morning about the pursuit of “Righteousness” and that sometimes it meant leaving religion behind. Reminded me of a church sign I saw some time back that read “Tried Religion…. Try Jesus.”   Why today’s title? It’s that time of year again…..that rare national church day, retail bonanza,  get up, dress up and show up. I believe the Easter Bunny has as many or maybe more fans than Santa Claus. I am sure the retail folks like him better in some ways. You see to open presents and such you can put on  pajamas or whatever but Easter has a parade and even a song about a ladies hat. Ah…new hat requires new shoes, dress, purse and other accessories too numerous to mention. Now it doesn’t stop here. Don’t forget with mom looking so good it would be disrespectful for dad and the kids to show up in anything less than today’s newest. Can you say “credit, debit or cash”? Having so much fun with this lost my way, better get back to the pew.

We all know Christmas and Easter are two times of the year that most of the pews are full. It is not my intent to belittle anyone. The church is full of folks that are there any time the door is open, those who never miss a Sunday and the ones I call “two-fers”. Two-fers are the ones whose Sunday always include Sunday school. For those of you who are just curious we Christians tend to believe these Sunday services and school cover our bad behavior during the next six days; at least that is what my less religious friends tell me. Every now and then someone says something different and simple that enlightens and inspires. But if it challenges us to be better, that is a pass this along please. When it comes from the pulpit it requires at least a respectful Amen! This didn’t come from the pulpit, our pastor has taken to wandering around as he preaches, stopping at the pulpit now and then to check his notes if need be but he said it.

Religion is to keep it simple, the way we worship. For many people this is very important. You might say religion is a procedure by which we as humans have deemed to be a comfortable way to worship our God. The songs we sing, the way we pray, the rules or beliefs of our particular faith.  Do we seek to be righteous, to live as Jesus would have us live? Are we a better person today than we were yesterday? Two days a year, every Sunday or any time the door is open. The question is “are you a better person who seeks to live a righteous life?” What is “to be righteous”? Pastor stopped moving around and said this to us…

 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’This is the first and great commandment.And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

So pastor here is the Amen you didn’t get from the pew this morning.   AMEN

 

Aside

A Question of Image, How Do You See Jesus?

04 Saturday Jan 2014

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Megyn Kelly, Fox News commentator says Jesus and Santa Claus are both white. Before we offend anyone let’s look at this from a cultural stand point and with secular reason. The article by Max Fisher found in WorldViews contains this excerpt of a respected professor of such subjects and his view.

What, as far as we know, did Jesus look like? What do we actually know about him?

“Well, what we know about him is that he was Galilean. As a Galilean, he would have been what is referred to as a Palestinian Jew. He would look the way that the average Palestinian would look today. So that would mean dark features, hairy, probably a longer nose, black hair.”

Nothing offensive here, a reasonable statement that really does not rise to the level of insult, disrespect or wishful thinking; now let’s look at what the Bible says. Genesis 1:27 King James Version.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

One thing about the community of believers is of course their diversity, so it is only reasonable to find diversity in the acceptance and use of various translations of the bible. I have chosen the KJV because most of the recent translations are newer forms that in no way change the content of the message. The verse above leads us to ask the next question. If I am created in his image, would not God be white? Some of you reading this might ask, or black, yellow, red, whatever. Next place to go is the dictionary and see what it says about “image”.

 exact likeness/semblance” God created man in his own image Genesis 1:27(Revised Standard Version)

If you believe as I do that God, Son, and the Holy Spirit are one, maybe it is not important what Jesus looks like but what makes him what he is, his image in our mind so to speak. Now as a person sitting in the pews and not a theological student I often read a wide range of thought on different matters, then pick the one that I am most comfortable with through study and prayer. God does not have a problem, we do and it is one of image. I settled on an article by Dick Staub written in March of 2013. Here are his six points of what the “Image of God” really means.
-God is Creative –
-God is Spirit
-God communicates God is intelligent
-God is relational
-God is a moral being

One last thing from Dick Stuab…..”In his image we should reflect God’s creative, spiritual, intelligent, communicative, relational, moral and purposeful capacities”……. How do you see yourself, what image do you present to the world?

THE NEXT STEP

31 Tuesday Dec 2013

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We are just hours away from the New Year and this will be my last post this year. I share with you things I hear from other Christians, those in the Pew so to speak and from different materials I read on a regular basis. While writing this blog I have found that the biggest problem for us in the pews is the fact that we don’t read the word enough and make use of the numerous bible commentaries available to us today. Of course the best way to discernment of the word is the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Today I share with you from Matthew 14, verses 29-33. Today’s scripture comes from an article published in the Upper Room by Ciara Lilly and the commentary is from Barclay’s DBS. All sources used here other than my own comments are in “italics”.

Matthew 14:28–33
And Peter answered him: ‘Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water.’ He said: ‘Come.’ Peter got down from the boat and walked on the water to come to Jesus. But, when he saw the wind, he was afraid; and, when he began to sink below the water, he cried out: ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and grasped him. ‘O man of little faith!’ he said. ‘Why did you begin to have doubts?’ And when they got into the boat, the wind sank. And those in the boat knelt in reverence before him, saying: ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’

This passage in the New Testament tells us three things about Peter.

(1) Peter was given to acting upon impulse and without thinking of what he was doing. It was his mistake that again and again he acted without fully facing the situation an without counting the cost. He was to do exactly the same when he affirmed undying and unshakable loyalty to Jesus (Matthew 26:33–5), and then denied his Lord’s name. And yet there are worse sins than that, because Peter’s whole trouble was that he was ruled by his heart; and, however he might sometimes fail, his heart was always in the right place and the instinct of his heart was always love.

(2) Because Peter acted on impulse, he often failed and came to grief. It was always Jesus’ insistence that people should look at a situation in all its bleak grimness before they acted (Luke 9:57–8; Matthew 16:24–5). Jesus was completely honest with people; he always urged them to see how difficult it was to follow him before they set out upon the Christian way. A great deal of Christian failure is due to acting upon an emotional moment without counting the cost.

(3) But Peter never finally failed, for always in the moment of his failure he clutched at Christ. The wonderful thing about him is that every time he fell, he rose again; and that it must have been true that even his failures brought him closer and closer to Jesus Christ. As has been well said, a saint is not someone who never fails; a saint is someone who after a fall gets up and goes on again every time. Peter’s failures only made him love Jesus Christ the more.

Olive Wyon, in her book Consider Him, quotes from the letters of the seventeenth-century Bishop of Geneva, a story about an unusual practice of that day but one that had a practical application. After drawing water from the well and the pail was full they always put a piece of wood into it. When asked why they replied, ‘Why? to keep the water from spilling . . . to keep it steady!’ Writing to a friend later on, the bishop told this story and added: ‘So when your heart is distressed and agitated, put the Cross into its centre to keep it steady!’ In every time of storm and stress, the presence of Jesus and the love which flows from the cross bring peace and serenity and calm.

It is my prayer that this New Year bring to you and yours the peace and serenity and clam that only the presence of Jesus can bring onto our lives.